Final answer:
The four categories of Whistleblower Reprisal Complainants are Victim, Informative, Investigative, and Retaliatory. These reflect the different roles in reporting misconduct and seeking protection from reprisals secured by several laws, including the Whistleblower Protection Act.
Step-by-step explanation:
The four categories of Whistleblower Reprisal Complainants are Victim, Informative, Investigative, and Retaliatory. These categories reflect the different roles individuals may play in the process of reporting misconduct and seeking protection from reprisals: the Victim is someone who has suffered from a violation or misconduct, the Informative is the individual who reports the misconduct, the Investigative refers to those who look into the reported issues, and the Retaliatory describes actions taken against the whistleblower for their involvement in reporting.
Whistleblower protections have been established by a series of laws in the United States, including the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, and the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012, to ensure that these individuals can report misdeeds without fear of reprisal.